Attachment for stringed musical instruments



Oct. 22 1929. v H. c. J. HAGBERG 1,732,463

ATTACHMENT FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS v Filed Aug. 31. 1926 4 /0PH/F5- 24 a m F 4 .26 24f? Z W F/y. '7.

Q 42 J go I 1%NffO/B ,4 TTORNEY Patented Oct. 22, 1929 UNITE STATESHERMAN C. J. HAGIBERG, F BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA ATTACHMENT FOR STRINGEI)MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Application filed August 31,1926. Serial No.132,724.,

My invention relates to a means for supporting the strings in violinsand similar stringed instruments.

It is primarily the object of my invention to reduce string breakage inmusical instru ments. It was found, in accomplishingthis object that amarked improvement in the tone of the instrument resulted, and ittherefore becomes a further object of my invention to improve the tonalquality of existing types of stringed instruments.

It is an object of my invention to provide a device producing either orboth these improvements in stringed instruments, and

which device may be furnished as an attachment applicable to existinginstruments.

My invention further aims at the accomplishment of the above results ina simple inexpensive manner, and with an attachment which may be easilyapplied.

Other and ancillary objects will be suggested in the followingspecification and further by the uses to which my invention will be put.

I will describe my invention as applied to a violin, but it will beunderstood that a cello, banjo, mandolin, or any of a large number ofstringed instruments other than the violin might have been selected forillustration.

Referring to the drawings:

Figures 1 to 4 are fragmentary views of the portion of a violin to whichmy attachment is applicable. Fig. 1 is a plan view showing my attachmentapplied to the head portion of the violin; Fig. 2 is a longitudinalelevation of the head and adjacent neck portions; and Figs. 8 and 4 aremedian longitudinal vertical sections of two different forms of myattachment in a violin. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively perspective andfront elevation detail views of the form of attachment illustrated inFig. 4; while Fig. 7 is a perspective detail of the form of myattachment illustrated in Fig. 3.

In a stringed musical instrument in general, and in a violin inparticular, the strings 2, 4, 6 and 8 arestretched (under determined- 1yadjusted tension) above or spaced from the sounding board or body 9 ofthe instrument over and between supporting rests or bridges 10 and. 11,so that the portion 12 of each string between the points of support isfree to vibrate and produce a musical tone, which tone may be adjustedby altering the tension of the strings. In the present instance thebridge or rest 10 constitutes the nut at the head end of the fingerboard. The strings are tensed by means of the pegs 14, 16, 18 and 20,rotatably retained in holes in the peg box 22 provided at the head ofthe instrument, and tapered so they may be wedged against rotation insaid holes. When the pegs are rotated to wind thereon the strings 2, 4,6 and 8, they impart tension to the strings. It will be noted that thepeg box is appreciably below the vibratory portion 12 of the strings,and therefore in violins not fitted with my attachment 24, a sharp angleis defined in each string at the rest 10. The sharpness of this angleproduces a'high pressure upon this bridge 10, and is the cause offrequent string breakage. Especially in the case of the steel string 8,a high localized pressure is produced at 10 whichis believed to be thecause of damping the resonant qualities of all but the most finelyconstructed violins. I am not certain of the cause, but the markedimprovement of tone quality which results from the use of my attachmentis unmistakable.

This attachment 24, of my invention in its simplest form (see Figs. 1,2. 3 and 7 comprises a substantially plane-bottomed block long enough tostraddle the peg box 22 and seat upon the upper edges of its side walls26 and 28. This block is made high enough to'bear against the stringsand relieve the rest 10 of the major portion of the pressure imposedthereupon by the said strings. The upper face of this hearing block-24is curved and is wide enough to iron out the former sharp angle at 10into a smooth curve of large radius. In simplest'form, the stringgrooves 30, 32, 34 and 36 in the block 24, are substantially of the samedepth, and the curvature of the upper surface is made such asto merelydistribute the bearing area of the strings over a broader surface toprevent cutting the strings and to avoid undue localization of pressureon the instrument. The height of the block is adjusted to takeapproximately four-fifths of the pressure imposed by the strings;leaving the remaining one-fifth pressure on the rest 10. Evidently then,this member 24 forms an auxiliary string rest or support which isarranged to be compressedly engaged between the strings and head. Thebottom surface of the block 24 has a thin piece 38, of leather, fabric,paper or other yielding or suitable material glued to it to facilitateits attachment to the instrument with an adhesive. This material 38,which may be easily abraded away, also forms a convenient means foradjusting the height of the bearing block or auxiliary rest 24. When itis desired to accurately adjust the rate of curvature of each stringfrom the point 10 to its tapered peg 14, 16, 18, or 20, the effectivecurvature of the upper surface of the auxiliary rest 24 must be complex,(i. e. curved in two directions; i. e. a solid curve as distinguishedfrom a planar curve) This eifect may be achieved by varying the depth ofone end of the several string grooves, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6 asat 30. The curvature of each of these grooves 30, 32, 34 and 36 would bemade to approximate a circular are described from the point 10 to therespective pegs 14, 16, 18 and 20.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 also represent a modified means for securing theauxiliary rest 24 to the violin. A depending leg 40 serves to attach thebridge 24 to the end-wall 42 of the pe -box; the leg being narrow enoughto fit between the sidewalls 26 and 28. The planar back face of this leg40 is glued to the end wall 42, and the tip of the leg may be longenough to seat against the bottom of the peg box and relieve the sidewalls of pressure from the main porton of the bearing block 24.

Other modifications within the purview of my invention will suggestthemselves in the application of my device to violins and to otherstringed instruments. I wish therefore not to be circumscribed beyondthe limits set by the claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a stringed musical instrument of the type havinga string tensed across a pair of main bridges with a portion of saidstring extended in a substantially straight line to a string-holdingmeans spaced beyond said bridges, said string portion lying opposite anon-resonant instrument portion, an auxiliary member immovably fixed tosaid instrument between said holding means and the main bridge nearestthereto; said member being constructed and positioned to assume aportion of the pressure of said string and being acoustically insulatedfrom the instrument portion engaged thereby.

2. In combination with a violin, a broad string-supporting membermounted on the head of said violin between the string-tens ing pegs andthe vibratory portion of the strings; the string-supporting surface ofsaid member being gradually curved to approximate tangency with saidvibratory portion of the strings on the one side and with a line drawnto a string-tensing peg on the other side.

3. An attachment for violins having strings tensed at a substantialangle over a main supporting bridge by tensing means spaced out of linewith the vibratory portion of said strings, comprising an auxiliarystring support member having a broad gradually curved string-supportingsurface, and means for attaching said auxiliary member to said violin atthe non-vibratory string portions; said attachment being constructed toposition the string-supporting surface thereof in approximate tangencywith a line drawn to said tensing means on the one side and with a linedrawn tangent to said main supporting bridge on the other side.

In testimony whereof, I aliix my signature.

HERMAN C. J. HAGBERG.

